Door catch



Nov. 29, 1949 M. KLAAR noon cATcH Filed Feb. 21, 1945 INVENTOR. MAX KLAAR ATTORNEY i aten'ted Nov. 29,1949

DOOR- CATCH Max Klaar, San Mateo, Calif., assignor to W. P. Fuller & 00., San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of California Application February 21, 1945, Serial No. 579,037

Claims.

' The present invention relates to improvements in door catches, and has particular reference to a catch intended for use in connection with doors for shower baths.

' Doors of this character are usually made of a glass panel surrounded by metal molding. Since the door is of considerable size and weight, the wear on the catch is considerable, and it has been found that catches now in use have to be renewed frequently.

It is proposed in the present invention to provide a door catch of such substantial construction that it will last as long as the door or the house of which the door forms a part.

It is further proposed to use a catch of the roller type and to provide securing means adapted for accommodation within the limited space available for the purpose.

It is still further proposed to provide means for securing the catch with freedom of rocking motion whereby it may adjust itself to slight disalinements and to provide spring means bearing on the catch with means for adjusting the tension of the spring.

And finally, it is proposed to provide a catch of the character described that may be easily and quickly installed, can never be pushed into an inoperative position and projects beyond the edge of the door sufficiently far to cover a considerable clearance between the door and the door jamb.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as this specification proceeds, and the novel features of my door catch will be fully defined in the claims hereto attached.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a fragmentary front view of a door and a door jamb, with portions shown in section to disclose the catch mechanism;

Figure 2, a vertical section through the door taken along line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3, a horizontal section taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4, a blank of sheet material, out of which the frame for the roller may be made by bending operations.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, an outer portion of a showerbath door is shown at I, the door being hinged at its inner edge in a conventional manner, and comprising a panel 2, which usually is made of glass, and a metal molding 3 surrounding the panel.

The molding 3 is made in the form of a channel having a base or bottom 4, two parallel flanges 5 for receiving the edge of the glass panel and parallel ribs 6 on the inside of the flanges to serve as abutments for the glass panel, a suitable washer 1 being interposed between the glass panel and the flanges and the ribs.

The ribs are spaced from the bottom or base of the channel by a suitable distance to provide an open space or conduit 8 around the panel.

The free edge of the door is made to close against a jamb 9 suitably secured upon the wall l0 which usually is of tile construction. The jamb is preferably made of metal and comprises a face portion H lying against the edge of the tile wall, flanges [2 bearing on the sides of the wall and a stop l3 against which the door bears when closed.

The catch, generally indicated at M, comprises in its principal features, a frame l5 for holding the roller l6, and a spring l1 for resiliently holding the frame in place.

The frame is preferably made in the form of a channel comprising a bottom [8 and two flanges I9 which latter have a snug and sliding fit between the flanges 5 of the molding.

The bottom of the frame has two cars 20 bent out of its plane to project at a right angle and to form bearings for the roller IS.

The outer end of each flange of the frame is bent at a right angle toward the other flange to form spacing members 2| at opposite ends of the frame.

The entire frame may be readily stamped from a single sheet of material, as illustrated in the blank of Figure 4.

The base of the molding is formed with a slot 22 adapted to allow the two roller supporting ears 20 to project therethrough, with the remainder of the frame lying against the inner face of said base.

Behind the slot the two ribs 6 are cut away or fore-shortened to leave an open space equal to the length of the frame, and positioned in such a manner that when the frame is introduced between the flanges through the open space, the ears holding the roller l6 are automatically guided into the slot 22.

It should also be noted that when the roller is pressed inwardly to such an extent that the frame might be free to move longitudinally in the conduit in which it is accommodated, the two ends of the frame will enter between the two ribs 6 to make such movement impossible.

The frame is held in position by means of the spring I i. This spring may be described as being of the hair-pin type, and is made of a piece of sprin wire bent upon itself to form a rounded base 24 and two long legs 25,-the'rounded base being bent at a right angle, as shown at 25, to bear against the frame at a notch 21, while the outer ends of the legs are also bent at a right angle in the opposite direction to form stops, as shown at 28.

The spring H is generally curved inside eleva-- tion, as shown in Figur 1, so that when the outer end of the same is pressed against the base 40f the molding, the curved end 24 bears upon the notch 27 for urging the roller through the slot 22.

The notch 2? is arranged centrally with respect to the roller, so that the latter is free to rock about the end of the spring.

The legs of the spring .are anchored to the bas 4 of the moldingiby means of the boltx3il and a nut 35, the bolt passing through a hole in the base and between the legs of the hair-pin spring to be threaded in the nut which latter is shaped for sliding motion between the flanges 5 of the molding and is held against rotation by the latter.

When the bolt 36 is screwed home into the nut to its fullest extent, the legs of the spring will lie flat against the base 4 of the molding. In this position the legs are curved as indicated in Figure 1.

The legs tend, however, .totstraighten out and will do so as the bolt is loosened. Thus,zthe..tension of the spring may be adjusted by the tightening or loosening of the bolt 30.

The manner-of assembling the catch mechanism is very simple: After the frame. :has been bent into proper shape, with the roller 1 6 secured between the end 29, it may be readily guided toward the siot 22 by being introduced between the flanges from the rear between the ribs 6, which will automaticaliy guidethe.rollerrthrough the slot.

The spring is preferably introduced from the open end of the molding, with the nut3i positioned on top of the spring before the Stop :23

enters the molding. The spring is then advanced toward the frame of th catch .by means of any simple tool, such as a screw-driver engaging between the legs'25, whereupon its bearing end is lifted over the spacingmember 2i,:vvhichuis cut down siig'ntly to accommodate the spring, as

shown in Figure 1, and is then positioned over the notch iii.

In the meantime, the stops 28 at the other end of the spring have taken thenut 3! along with them, and the latter may now be properly positioned with respect to the bolt hole in the base 4 by sighting and secured in place by application of the bolt 35.

Oncethe assembly is completed, itis practically impossible for anything toget out of order. The nut 3! is held against rotation between the flanges and the bolt is locked against turning by the spring pres-sure.

The roller of the catch is free to move in and out, and is also free to rock on the end of the spring. If for any reason, as by means of special pressure, the roller is made to retract into the space behind the base 4 of the molding, th rear end of the frame enters between the ribs B,'which prevents longitudinal movement of the frame in nel and having a roller the conduit, and which causes the spring I! to automatically urge the roller back into its position as soon as the pressure is released.

The door jamb is provided with a suitable depresssion 33 adapted to receive the roller and to hold the door in locked position.

I claim:

1. In a latch mechanism, a channel-shaped molding having flanges adapted for fitting upon a door panel or the like and having a slot in the bottom thereof and ribs on the flanges spaced from the bottom to serve as abutments for the panel, the ribs being fore-shortened to clear a space in the channel projecting beyond the slot in'both directions, a frame slidable in the channel and having a roller adapted for projecting through the slot, the frame being shaped for insertion transversely of the molding through the clear space toward the slot and for guiding the roller into the slot.

2. In a latch mechanism, a channel-shaped molding having flanges adapted for fitting upon a door panel or the like and having a slot in the bottom thereof and ribs in the flanges spaced from the bottom to serve as abutments for the panel, the ribs being fore-shortened to clear a space in the channel projecting beyond the slot in both directions, a frame slidable in the channel and having a roller adapted for projecting through the slot, the frame being shaped for insertion transversely of the'molding through the clear space toward the slot andfor guiding the roller into the slot, and spring means secured upon the bottomof the channel and bearing on the frame for urging the roller into projecting position.

3. In a latch mechanism, a channel-shaped molding having flanges adapted for fitting upon a door panel or the like and having a slot in the bottom thereof and ribs in the flanges spaced from the bottom to serve as abutments for the panel, the ribs being fore-shortened to clear a space in the channel projecting beyond the slot in both directions, a frame slidable in the chanadapted for projecting through the slot, the frame being shaped for insertion transversely, of the molding through the clear space toward the slotand for guiding the roller into the slot, and spring means secured upon the bottom of the channel and bearing on the frame at the center thereof to urge the roller into a projecting position with freedom of rocking motion aboutsaid point.

4. In combination, a channel-shaped molding for a door panel or the like having a slot in the bottom thereof and ribs in the flanges spaced from the bottomto serve as abutments for the panel, the ribs being fore-shortened to clear a spacein the channel projecting beyond the slot in both directions, a frame slidable in the chapnel and having a roller adapted for projecting through the slot, the frame being shaped for sliding through the clear space toward the slot and for guiding the roller into-the slot, and spring means'secured upon the bottom of the -channel and bearing on the frame for urging the roller into projecting position, the frame being suffi-- ciently deep to engage between the ribs when the roller is retracted in the slot for preventing endwise motion of the frame in the channel.

5. A catchfor a channeLof thecharacter described having a slot in the base :thereofcom prising a supporting frame insertible into the channel from.-the..inside, aroller supported --by 5 6 the frame and adapted to project through the slot, and an elongated spring having a portion REFERENCES CITED secured upon the base of the channel and having Th f l w n references are of record in the a free end bearing on the supporting frame for fi Of s p ent! urging the roller into projecting position, the 5 supporting frame having means cooperable with the channel sides for holding the frame against Number Name Date motion and in operative relation with respect to 506,313 James 10, 1393 the slot when the roller is depressed to a. position 2,234,074 Stahl May 26, 1942 behind the slot. 10

MAXIGJAAR. 

